WBCS Syllabus 2023 has been released by the West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) for the civil services in West Bengal, along with the notification. The syllabus for the WBPSC exam consists of Prelims and Mains followed by an interview. Good knowledge of the latest WBCS syllabus is vital for the targeted preparation for the exam since it lets aspirants know the important topics.
To begin with, the WBCS syllabus for Prelims consists of objective questions on General Studies subjects. On the other hand, the Mains syllabus has 6 compulsory papers and one optional subject with 2 papers. However, the optional paper applies only to those candidates who appear for Group A and Group B posts. 4 papers shall be objective in nature, while 2 papers will be descriptive in the WBCS Mains syllabus.
WBCS syllabus 2023 is set by West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) for the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) examination. Candidates who take the exam should check the syllabus before beginning their WBCS exam preparations. As already stated, the process is divided into three stages, Prelims, Mains, and Interview/ Personality Test. Hence, it is important to qualify for each stage, which can be attained through proper knowledge of the complete syllabus. There are two main parts under which the syllabus is studied which are:
The WBCS syllabus for Prelims is for 200 marks, while the Mains syllabus varies for Group A, B, C, and D posts. To get detailed knowledge about the WBPSC syllabus for the Prelims and Mains exam, aspirants should download the syllabus PDF just by clicking on the direct link provided herewith.
To enhance the preparation for the West Bengal PCS exam, we have provided aspirants with the WBCS syllabus PDF. This shall help them know the topics for each subject. Aspirants must also ensure to save the syllabus PDF on their devices for easy access in the future.
Candidates must go through the WBPSC syllabus PDF to thoroughly understand the important topics for each exam stage. It should be followed by creating a feasible study plan which includes all these important topics.
WBCS Prelims syllabus consists of an objective type of test. The test will have questions based on 8 different sections allotted 25 marks each which will make for a total of 200 marks. The Prelims are held only for the purpose of screening candidates. The selection of the candidates is based on the Mains and Interview marks.
The WBCS syllabus for Prelims has sections like English Language, General Science, Indian National Movement, Current Events of National & International Importance, Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal, History of India, Indian Polity and Economy, and General Mental Ability.
| Sections | Topics |
| English Composition | Vocabulary tests, Synonyms, and Antonyms, Phrasal Verbs, Idioms, and Phrases, One-word substitution, Homophones, Fill in the blanks with proper parts of speech |
| General Science | Understanding of science, General Appreciation, Including matters of everyday observation and experience as may be expected of a well-educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific discipline |
| History of India | Ancient History, Medieval History, and Modern History |
| Geography of India (a reference to West Bengal) | Main features of Indian Agricultural and Natural Resources, Physical Geography, including the Climate of West Bengal, Social Geography, and Economic Geography |
| Indian Polity and Economy | Panchayati Raj, Planning in India, Community Development, Political System, Indian Constitution, etc Also, read: Administrative Setup in West Bengal |
| Indian National Movement | Growth of nationalism in India, the Nature, and Character of the 19th Century Resurgence, the Indian Independence Movement, the Revolt of 1857, etc. |
| General Mental Ability | Logical perception, natural conclusion, understanding, Common Aptitude, etc. |
The candidates who obtain the required WBCS cut off marks in Prelims will be called to appear in the Mains exam. The WBCS syllabus for Mains has 6 papers in total. Paper 1 and Paper 2 are conventional/descriptive in nature. On the other hand, Papers 3, 4, 5, and 6 are objective in nature.
The papers included in the WBCS Mains syllabus are Bengali/ Hindi/ Urdu/ Nepali/ Santali, English, General Studies 1, General Studies 2, Indian Constitution & Indian Economy, and Arithmetic & Reasoning. Apart from this, there shall be two optional papers, Papers 7 & 8, only for Group A and B posts.
| WBCS Mains Syllabus 2023 | ||
Paper | Subject | Syllabus |
Paper I | Bengali/ Hindi/ Urdu/ Nepali/ Santali | Letter writing (within 150 words) Drafting of Report( within 200 words) Precis Writing Composition and Translation from English to Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali/Santali |
Paper 2 | English | Letter writing (within 150 words) Drafting of Report( within 200 words) Precis Writing, Composition and Translation from Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali/Santali to English |
Paper 3 | General Studies 1 | Indian History (special emphasis on National Movement) Geography of India (with special reference to West Bengal) |
Paper 4 | General Studies 2 | Science and Scientific & Technological advancement Environment General Knowledge and Current Affairs |
Paper 5 | Indian Constitution & Indian Economy | The Constitution of India Indian Economy - Planning and objectives of five years plan Monetary Policy and Functions of Reserve Bank of India Central and State Finance Commission, Fiscal Policy of Government of India |
Paper 6 | Arithmetic & Test of Reasoning | Logical Deduction The Forcefulness of the Arguments Implication of sentences Inferring from diagrams Series, Letter series Number Series, Analogy tests, Symbol Interpretation, Mathematical puzzles, Odd man out, Perception tests, Non-verbal Reasoning & selecting the correct sequence. |
Paper 7 | Optional Subject | Two papers of 200 marks each (One subject is to be chosen) |
Paper 8 | ||
The WBCS Mains syllabus has optional papers for Group A and B posts. The candidates can select any of the subjects out of the 37 subjects. Here is a list of optional subjects for the Mains exam from the WBCS Syllabus. Aspirants can select the papers as per their knowledge and expertise. This is a crucial paper that will be a deciding factor for the candidates.
| WBCS Syllabus- List of Optional Papers | |
| Subject | Code |
| Bengali | 1 |
| Hindi | 2 |
| Sanskrit | 3 |
| English | 4 |
| Pali | 5 |
| Arabic | 6 |
| Persian | 7 |
| French | 8 |
| Urdu | 9 |
| Santali | 10 |
| Comparative Literature | 11 |
| Agriculture | 12 |
| Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science | 13 |
| Anthropology | 14 |
| Botany | 15 |
| Chemistry | 16 |
| Civil Engineering | 17 |
| Commerce and Accountancy | 18 |
| Computer Science | 19 |
| Economics | 20 |
| Electrical Engineering | 21 |
| Geography | 22 |
| Geology | 23 |
| History | 24 |
| Law | 25 |
| Mathematics | 26 |
| Management | 27 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 28 |
| Medical Science | 29 |
| Philosophy | 30 |
| Physiology | 31 |
| Physics | 32 |
| Political Science | 33 |
| Psychology | 34 |
| Sociology | 35 |
| Statistics | 36 |
| Zoology | 37 |
The last round of the WBCS examination process is the WBCS Interview/ Personality Test. After qualifying in the Mains exam, candidates shall be called to appear for the interview. The selection of the candidates shall be based only on their marks in the Mains and Interviews. The marks for the interview vary for Group A, B, C, and D categories of candidates. The candidates appearing for Group A and B posts will be marked out of 200. For Group C, it is 150 marks; for Group D, it is 100 marks.
Candidates should know about the difference in the WBCS syllabus for the Prelims and Mains exams to create a preparation strategy for both stages. Prelims shall have only objective questions, while Mains shall have some papers that are objective, while some are subjective. Here are the differences between the two stages:
| WBCS Prelims Syllabus | WBCS Mains Syllabus |
| The Prelims syllabus consists of 8 sections | The Mains exam consists of 6 compulsory papers. (2 optional papers are also there but only for Group A and B posts) |
| WBCS Prelims shall have only objective questions. | Papers 3, 4, 5, 6 i.e. General Studies 1, General Studies 2, The Constitution of India and Indian Economy including role and functions of the Reserve Bank of India, Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning are objective in nature, while Paper 1 and Paper 2 are conventional papers. |
| This exam is used only for screening purposes, and its marks are not included in preparing the merit list. | This paper is crucial as its marks are used to prepare the merit list of candidates. |
It is crucial for the candidates to practice enough and to plan their preparation carefully. Below, we've included preparation advice from subject experts for covering the WBCS syllabus 2023. To advance in the selection process, candidates must be well-prepared and make the appropriate moves. The preparation tips for the WBCS exam are as follows:
Books play a very important role when it comes to preparing for a significant exam like WBPSC. Aspirants should therefore collect the best books to prepare the WBCS syllabus. The following list contains the subject-wise WBCS books that will contrbute to a large extent in your preparation.
Subject | Book/Author |
General Science | LUCENT General Science and Lucent’s GK, NCERTs |
History and Indian National Movement | Spectrum, Bipin Chandra |
Geography | G.C. Leong |
Polity and Economy | Laxmikanth (Polity), Ramesh Singh(Economy) |
Current Affairs | Newspaper-Hindu/Indian Express, BYJU'S Exam Prep Monthly Current Affairs for PCS Exams |
West Bengal GK | WBCS GS Manual by Nitin Singhania |
WBPSC Syllabus 2023 covers the syllabus for both the Prelims and Mains exams. The WBCS Prelims syllabus has 8 different sections. The Mains Syllabus has 6 compulsory papers and 2 optional papers. The optional paper is only for the Group A and B posts General Studies papers and Optional subjects papers.
Yes, aspirants can download the WBCS Syllabus PDF for Prelims and Mains exams. The official syllabus PDF lists all the topics asked in the exam. Aspirants can download the syllabus of WBCS by clicking on the link that is given below:
WBCS Prelims Syllabus has 8 sections testing the General Knowledge of the candidates. The Prelims syllabus consists of English, Science, History, Geography, Economics, Polity, Indian National Movement, Mental ability, and Current Affairs. The total marks for this paper are 200 and have only objective questions.
Yes, we can say that the WBCS Prelims syllabus is somewhat similar to Mains in some aspects. Candidates must start their preparation keeping in mind the syllabus of the Mains exam. The Prelims topics are covered in one of the Mains papers. So start your preparation for Mains simultaneously from day one.
WBCS syllabus for the Mains exam has 6 compulsory subject papers and 2 optional subject papers. Candidates for Group A and B posts must attempt the optional subject paper. The six papers for the WBCS mains syllabus consist of Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali/Santali paper, English paper, General Studies 1, General Studies 2, The Constitution of India and Indian Economy, including role and functions of Reserve Bank of India and Arithmetic & Test of Reasoning.
No, the WBCS syllabus remains constant year after year. The syllabus and the format are both unchanged. The General Awareness segment evaluates applicants based on their broad knowledge and familiarity with the present situation. To ace this section, candidates must be knowledgeable about current events.
To get the desired outcome and the desired job profile, it is crucial for applicants to thoroughly prepare for the WBCS syllabus. If you put up committed effort and consistently review the previously studied subjects, you can complete the entire syllabus in three months. You just have to follow some simple steps which mainly include having proper knowledge of the exam information first.
Aspirants can attempt the WBCS syllabus for language papers in any one of the Hindi/ Urdu/ Santhali/ Bengali/ Nepali languages. Candidates can attempt the exam in English and Bengali. Aspirants may need knowledge of the Bengali language for administration work, but they don't need it for the exam.
The best books to prepare for the WBCS syllabus can be categorized into two sections of Prelims and Mains. Some of the best books to prepare topics for the Prelims and Mains examination are as follows-
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